Safety gas cock



Jan 6, 1931.

w.`J. McsPEDoN. JR

SAFETY GAS COCK Filed April 5. 1930 .m D n I I. i I

INVENTOR ATTO R NEY Patented dan. 6, 19,31 i' i I i vvmuffe!) STTES-. TEM-OFFICE, j

WILLrnM J. ncsrnnoiv, in., or Narr-RA 1543K, new Yom:

sArETY ses oooK Application led April 5, 1930. Serial No. 443,743.

This invention. relates to gas cocks and Fig. 3 is a view similar to vFig. 2 showingaims Vparticularly to provide a safety gas the position ofV `the locking device when cock which is normally' locked in its closed about to release thehandle, and as the parts position sov that the same may not be acciappear when the gas 'cook is opened;I

5 dentallyf opened but which may beV opened Fig. Llis a top plan view showing the body 5 with facility whenv desired. f `with the locking member. removed;

' *The primary ob`ect of the invention is Fig. 5 isa detail view ypartly in section off to provide a simple and ellcient safety gas the locking member.; and f f cock which will be Vpositive in its action and `Fig. v6 is a bottom plan, view offthe loc-kf io which may be 'economically manufactured. in .f member shown in Fig.' 5. i

A' further object of the invention is to .eferring more particularlyeto the draw-4 provide a safety .gas cock in which Y the ings, the safety gas cock in thisinstance in- Y operating handle yis secured to the plug cludes Aa-body 10- havinga conical bore 1.1f stem which carries a spring-held lock nor-v extending vertically through thebody., Anv

mally` adapted to` abut against a plug or elongated conical plug or stem 12 is-.posig 65 projection provided .on the stem for locking tioned Vin the bore, andk this vp1ug-12 is` prothe cock in its closed position, the locking vided withY the usual port`13 adapted to device being movable 'to' release the same register with the .inlet portion Mandi outi from engagement with the-lug on the stem let portion 1 5 of thebody 10;` The plug 12` when it is desired to. openthe gas cock. is held to its seat Aby means of a locking- 70` Still another object ofthe invention is washer 16 and springl?, and the lower end to provide alocking device which is con. of the plug 12 is preferably equipped with veniently engageable by the thumbv of the a suitable setscrew 18.A user, to releaseithel lock, while the handle is The plug-12 provided with 'an outwardlyI f grasped by the. fingers, for opening the gas extending portion 19Y adjacent to its upper 75 cock whereby the gas cock-'may be unlocked end, and an operating handle 2O is secured and opened `by a single operation of the to the .outwardly extending: portion-19, the hand. i handle 2() being-secured-upon the outwardly Yet another yolojectof the invention-is to extending portion 13 in any suitablemanner provide a locking: devicewhich will operate asjfor instance by meansfofthe end screw` 21. 80 automatically to lock the gas cool; in. itsl v Means are` provided to lock the handle 20 closed positionwhen the gas has been kturned in its closed position, and in this instance the 0H.. Y f i i' V- looking mea-ns include a' substantially cylin- Other objects and advantages of theI indrical )locking member 22A positionedf upon u ventionL will be hereinafter specifically Vthe upper part of the stem; or plug 12 which 85. pointed out, or will become apparent-,asthe extends beyond the body portion 10. This specification proceeds. locking member 22 has a portion of its'wall Y VVth they above indicated objects in View, removed-'at the'base as seen at 23, and the end the invention resides in certain novel confaces 24and-25 respectively of thecut away Y 40 structions yand combinations'and arrangeportion 23 Vareadapted to engagek a lug 26k 90 vvment. of parts, clearly. described inthe fol-` formedjat the upper part of the body member c lowing specification and fullyillustrated in 10, 'when the gas cock is in its closed position, the-accompanying drawings, which latter thegas cock being thus securely locked in showt embodiments of ythe inventionA as at said closed position. To permit the gas cock present preferredf` Y 'f to be opened, the semi-cylindrical wall 27 Insaid drawings: Y atrt'he .base of `the lockingA .member 22 is Fig. 1 is a front .elevation of the gas cock formed-with a semi-annular groove 28, which showing the locking. device in operation groove isadapted'to receive the lug 26 when F1g.'2- 1s a vertical sectionalf-view ksub-k the Vlocking member-22 has `been depressed.

.60 stantially on the lineg2-42 of Fig. 1; l j Thus'whenifthe-locking member hasbeon '100 pressed down to align the groove 28 with the lug, the gas cock may be opened by means of the handle 20.

Resilient means are provided to mount the locking member upon the upper portion of the plug 12. In this instance the headfportion 29 of the plug l2 is provided ywith a cylindrical extension 30 extending upwardly within the interior of the cylindrical locking member 22.Y This extension 30 is of such diameter that an annular chamber 31 is formed within the locking member, above the plug head 29. A coil spring 32 is provided in the chamber 3l,-and this spring 32 v is adapted to be compressed by lmeans of a Set'screw 33 threaded within the chamber 31 as indicated at 34. This set `screw 33 is provided Ywitha depending guiding stem 35 adaptedto traverse a guiding recess 36 pro-V vided in the cylindrical extension 30. `The spring 32A thus normally. acts against the base of the` screw threaded member. 33 to hold the lock member in its upward position, withing traversed'by theinternal groove 28 of f the' lockingrmember. The side wall of the,

cylindrical locking member 22 has van upwardlyextending recess 37 in alignment with the neck portion 38 of the plug head 29, this recessV 37 affording a limit of travel for the locking member to its plug releasing position.

with great facility, it being simply necessary for the user to apply the'thumb of say the Y right hand upon the cap 36, to depress the locking member .22, whereuponA the handle 20 may be manipulated to open the gas cock.

When it is V desired vto turn. offthe gas, vthe handle 2,0. is simply moved to the normal closed positionfof the gas cock, whereupon the Vlower grooved portion 28 `of the locking member will be released from the shoulder 26andlthe spring 32 will force the locking member upward so that the shoulder 25 abuts g against the lug 26, thus automatically locking the gas cockin its closed position. p

While the present invention hasv been shown as appliedto armorejor less conventional type of gas cock, it is to .beunderstood that the present safety arrangement is applicablemto many other types of valves or the like,'the.safety device being capab'lefof aV wide range of use'in this respect. l Y The lhereinabove described construction admits of considerable modication Without merely. YIn other words, the scope of protection contemplated is to be taken` solely from the appended claims, V,interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art.Y

. What is claimed as new, is:

1. A safety gas cock or Vthe like including abo/dy having a bore therein, a plug'seated in said bore, said body having inlet and outlet passages, and said plug having a port adaptedto afford communication between said passages, an operating handle secured to the'upper part of said plug, means to lock said plug in position to close communication between said inlet and outlet passages, said meanszinc'luding a rlocking member mounted upon the upper part of said plug,'said locking member having a cut-out portion@ at its lower end, a lug extendingY outwardly from the upper part of said body, a side wall of the cut-out portion of said locking member being adapted to abut against said lug to normally lock said plug is'closed position, said locking memberfbeing depressible to release the'lug abutting portion of said locking member and permit partial rotation of said locking member and hence said plug, to open the gascock, and resilient means to automatically restore said locking member to its normal upwardposition when the gas cockis turnedl to its'closed position.

2. A safetyk gas cock or the like including a body having va vbore therein,V aplug seated in said' bore, Asaid body having inlet and outlet passages, and said: plug having a port'adapted to afford communication between said passages, said plug having an i outwardly extending'portion at its upper The present safety gas cock is operable 'tendingoutwardly from the upper part of said body, a side wall. of the'cut-out portion of said locking memberbeing adaptedrto abut against said lug lt'ofnormally. lock said plug inclosed position,.said locking Vmember having an internal groove and Ybeing' de`-. pressible to align said groove withlsaid lug, whereby to lrelease thelug abutting portion of said locking member and permit partial rotation of said locking member and hence said plug, to open the gas; cock',r andv resili-v ent means to automaticallygrestore said locking member to its normal upward position when said lug is released from said internal groove-onmanipulation of the gas cock to its closed position, said resilient Vmeans including a coiled spring within the Lipper part of extending portion at its upper end, an operat-v ing handle'on said outwardly extending portion, means to lock said plug in position to close communication between said inlet'and outlet passages, said means including a substantially cylindrical looking member mounted upon the upper part of said plug, said lockv ing member having a cut-out portion at its lower end, a lug extending outwardly from the upper part of said body, a side wall ofthe Vcutout portion of said locking member being adapted to abut against said lug to normally lock said plug in closed position, said locking member being depressible to release the lug abutting portion 4of said locking member and permit partial rotation of said locking member and hence said plug, to open the gas cock, resilient means to restore said locking member to its normal upward position when the gas cock is turned to its closed position,

said resilient means including a coiled spring y within the upper part of said cylindrical locking member, an adjustable cap screw-threaded at the top of said locking member, said` spring seating against said plug and normallyacting against Vsaid cap to maintain said locking member in locking position. 1 Y

4. A safety gas cock or the like including a body having a bore therein, a plug seated restore said locking member to its normal upy ward position when said lug is released from said internal groove on manipulation of the f gas cockvto its closed position, `said resilient means including a coiled spring withinthe upper .part of said cylindrical locking member, an adjustable cap screw-threadedrat the top of said locking member, said spring normally effective between said cap and said plug to maintain said locking member in operative y position, said plug including a neck portion between the head of the plug and said out- Ywardly eXtending'portion, and said locking memberhaving a recessed portionabove said neck to deine the limit'of travel of said locking member to its lug releasing position.

ln testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature. v Y n Y WILLIAM J. MGSPEDON, JR.

.in said bore, said body having inlet and outy let passages, andv said plug having a port adapted toafford communication between said.passages,rsaid plug having an outwardly. extending portion at its upper end, an operating handle on saidoutwardly eXtending portion, means to lock said plug in position to close communication between said inlet and outlet passages, said means including a substantially cylindrical locking member mounted upon the upperrpartof saidY plug,

said locking member having a cut-out portion at its lower end, a lug extending outwardly from the upperpart of saidbody, a side wall of the cut-out portion of said locking member being adapted to abut against saidlug to normally lock said plug in closed Y l v`position, said locking member having an internal groove and being depressible to align ber and permit partial rotation of said locking member and hence said plug, to open the gas cock, and resilient means toautomatically said groove with said lug, whereby to release the lug abutting portion of said locking mem- 

